


Zebby Orrelios

by cartoonwritingandsuch



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Anxiety, Coming Out, Fluff, Hera and Kanan are Zeb's PARENTS now no exceptions, I just really love Zeb, Like seriously... I have Zeb bedsheets, M/M, he reminds me of my brother and he deserves the world, oop I forgot but there's also a wholesome pregnancy reveal, vaguely season four compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cartoonwritingandsuch/pseuds/cartoonwritingandsuch
Summary: Zeb's got a secret that's eating him up, but to tell the crew he has admit it to himself, and disappoint his Mama.That's just too hard to do.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus & Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios, borderline Kalluzeb but not until the end, you can skip it if it makes you uncomfortable but it's all wholesome stuff anyway
Kudos: 26





	Zebby Orrelios

Zebby Orrelios is sat on his Mother's knee, the back of his fur being gently groomed by her as he is surrounded by her friends. He calls them Aunties because he sees them so often, one of them always seems to be within shouting distance.

"Mama?" He twitches his ear slightly.

"Yes Baaka?" She replies, a term of endearment that she was rather impartial too, meaning 'Beloved one' in their native tongue.

"I'm sorry I got covered in mud. Icky Aggie threw it on me." He folds his arms and furrows his eyebrows, a few of his Aunties laugh at his expression. 'Icky Aggie' was the girl next door, two years older than he was, with weird fur and who always smelt funny (or so he thought anyway). Over the years he'd had quite the feud going with her.

"It's okay Zebby." His mother smiles, setting the comb aside for a moment. "I know Aggie might seem icky now, but one day, when you're all grown up, you'll have a beautiful wife and you'll be very happy."

"Not Icky Aggie. Bleh!"

"No, maybe not Icky Aggie, but another lasat. Then you two can have a family of your own."

"Perhaps that nice Lillei girl in your class?" One of his Aunties chips in. "She seems like a close friend."

"Aww does Zebby have a girlfriend?" Another smiles, Zebby's ears lay flat in embarrassment.

"You're very handsome." His mother agrees. "And one day, you'll get married just like me and Daddy, and you'll love your wife very very much."

Marriage had always been a big thing in his family, big celebrations, big parties, big festivals. They were supposed to celebrate new life, but Zebby always found them boring.  
"I love you Mama." He purrs, emphasising the 'you' and snuggling into her chest, she strokes his ear and smiles.

"I know Zebby. I love you very much too."

After not long his father arrives home with his brothers, Tyhronus and Simeltohn, who are much older than he is, and he has not seen in weeks. Zebby runs over to greet them.

"Daddy!" He yells, not caring that he's out in the yard with his fur all unsightly, his Father picks him up and laughs.

"There's my handsome boy." He smiles, tickling the young lasat's exposed stomach. Zebby laughs, he can't remember the last time he was this happy.

Captain Garazeb Orrelios stared at himself in the mirror, he'd been there for half an hour now, trying to piece together the phrase in the back of his throat without falling over his own tongue.  
"Guys..." He began again. "I'm g-g-g-" He sighed and slammed his hands down onto the sink, maybe making more noise than he should've. Why was it so damn hard? Why couldn't he just spit the word out like any string of curses? He forced himself to try again. "I'm g-g-g-ga-g-GAH!" This was so stupid, he'd fought countless battles, saved hundred of lives. Why couldn't he just say that one little word? It was just gone 1:00am, and he hated to be up so late, but it seemed to be the only time he could practice in the mirror without any interruption. He tried again.

  
"Guys. I-I-I-I..." This was getting nowhere, if anything he was going backwards, he rest his forehead on the mirror and sighed.  
Then the tears came, not a full blown sob, that'd be too obvious, just a little sniffle that dampened the fur around his eyes. As a kit he used to angry cry, but he'd grown and learnt to fight it out, still, there were some things that a battle couldn't conquer. His sniffles grew a little deeper as he tried to wipe his face on his hand, he wasn't upset, not really, just frustrated and tired. He wanted to accept himself but it just didn't make sense. He knew so many beautiful women, and his mother had always said he would have a beautiful wife, why did he have to find himself falling over men instead? Losing his footing over even so much of a glance? "Gay." He choked the word out into a loud sob, bringing his hand to his mouth in an effort to stifle the inevitable tears that followed, it didn't work very well. The refresher doors slid open to reveal two figures.

  
"Zeb? Why are you up so late?" Kanan's voice was stern, but Hera's gentle expression counteracted it.

  
"Zebby." Her eyebrows knitted together sadly, her voice was tired, like she'd only just awoken, and she'd simply slipped up. She had no idea that she was addressing him by his Mother's beloved childhood nickname. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

  
"I'm not crying." Zeb denied, trying to hide his wet fur.

  
"We could hear you sobbing." Kanan replied, his expression a little less harsh than before. "Come on big guy, we'll talk about it in the commons." He gestured down the corridor and walked off, Zeb hesitated, but reluctantly followed. Closely being shadowed by Hera as he sat down opposite the Jedi. Horribly embarrassed to have been caught so vulnerable. "So. What's up?"

  
"It's nothing mate, just a bad dream."

  
"The same bad dream you've had every night this week?" Hera blocked his excuse instantly. "I keep hearing you leave your cabin to cry."

  
"I'm fine. Just Lasan." Zeb replied.

  
"You don't cry over Lasan Zeb. You scream and you punch things, but you don't cry." Kanan argued. "What's really going on?"

  
"I just-"

  
"Just?"

  
"I've just been practicing." He stuttered, refusing eye contact. Why was it so hard to admit the truth? He was sure they'd support him, they probably wouldn't even care, but it was like someone swallowed the words before they left his mouth.

  
"Practicing?" Hera raised an eyebrow from where she was sitting beside Kanan, their hands intertwined. Zeb had known about their relationship for longer than anyone else. They'd trusted him with such sensitive information from the day it was official. "Practicing what?"

  
"How to tell you guys."

  
"Tell us what?" Kanan's voice was slightly sterner again, as though he'd expected Zeb to have broken something. The lasat closed his eyes, as if that'd stop his tears, and sighed.

  
"G-g-g-ga..." He furrowed his eyebrows together and frowned. Still no luck. When he looked up his humanoid guardians looked concerned, Hera put her hand on his forehead.

  
"Zeb? You feeling alright dear?" She was always a little more endearing when she was tired, Zeb hated it. He didn't deserve her care when he was being such a coward.

  
"I'm fine." He batted her away, I'm just gonna go back to bed." He stood up but Hera stopped him.

  
"Oh no you're not. I am not having one of my kids upset and not knowing why."

  
"I'm not your kid Hera. I'm 15 years older than you."

  
"I don't care. Sit." She gestured him back down. "Kanan and I are going to start caf, we might be here a while, but if I come back and see that you've moved even a muscle I'm dragging you back here by your ear. Okay? I want to know what's been going on with you." She left hurriedly, dragging Kanan behind her by his hand, Zeb sighed the moment that he was alone. He'd really done it this time, now he'd have to make up an excuse and stop practicing, at this rate it was going to take him a year to even say the Y. He tried to wipe the tears off his fur, but it just spread them around, so he put his head onto his knees and sniffled.  
Meanwhile Kanan and Hera were almost silently talking about him in the galley, using caf as an excuse to speak alone.

  
"He's afraid. Like, absolutely terrified." Kanan began.

  
"What? Terrified of what?" Hera sounded surprised. "It's Zeb, I've seen him take down 12 troopers at once."

  
"But it's not that kind of fear, he's not afraid of the war, he's afraid of us."

  
"Us? How can he be afraid of us?" Hera peered back through the open door at where the lasat was just curled up. Knees on his chest, head on his knees. "We'd never hurt him."

  
"It's hard to tell, but I think he's afraid we're gonna reject him over something. Like he's got a big secret that could put us all in jeopardy... but he's got too many walls up for me to see clearly." Kanan picked up his mug to drink from it, Hera picked up the other two and ventured back into the commons, offering one to Zeb.

  
"Here, we got you a drink." She tapped the lasat's arm and he sat up reluctantly, sniffling and trying to wipe his face on his hand again. "Why don't you tell us what's been going on?"

  
"I can't."

  
"We won't hurt you Zeb." Kanan added. The lasat growled and sighed.

  
"No. I can't. Every time I try to say it I stutter and mess up." His voice broke a little. "It just feels wrong, I feel like a criminal."

  
"Zeb honey we're all criminals, anything you did can't be worse than what Chopper's done." Hera's tone softened. "Are we in danger? Did you mess up on a mission?" Zeb shook his head, she gently continued pushing. "Okay... is it a secret about the rebellion? Or just about us?"

  
"Just us." He muttered, the twi'lek sighed jokingly.

  
"Phew, we don't have to tell Mon Mothma then." She laughed. "Is it a secret about you?" Zeb didn't respond audibly, he just buried his head into his knees again and nodded.

"Alright. So it's a secret about you that has nothing to do with the rebellion, and we're not in any danger, so why are you so upset?" Kanan began, the lasat replied in a mumble.

  
"You won't like me if I tell you."

  
"That's ridiculous Zeb. In this family we love you whatever you're going through. Is it about Lasan? Are you having those dreams again?" Zeb shook his head. "Okay, so not Lasan. Is it something about you? Something new?" Zeb sniffed and nodded. It wasn't really new, he knew that, but his realisation had only come recently, and he still didn't want to accept it. His inner turmoil was new.

"Something new about you." Hera clicked her tongue in thought. "Is it something about a person? Are you seeing a person in a new way?" Zeb shook his head. That would've been easy, just rock up to the ghost one day and introduce his new boyfriend without any other questions. But no one else on the base felt like this, or if they did, they were very quiet about it. "Okay... are we on the right track though?"

  
They were onto him. Karabast Karabast Karabast Karabast Karabast Karabast. He bit down onto his lip until he could taste blood and tried to say the word again.  
"G-g-g-" He sighed and tried again. "G-g-g-ga-g-ga-g-"

  
"Gay?" Kanan interrupted, Zeb's head shot up as the Jedi spoke softly. "Are you gay?"

  
The lasat couldn't respond as his face contorted into a cry, full blown this time, quiet, but hysteric crying. Hera stood up and moved sides to cuddle up against him, the best kind of hug she could give to someone so large. He was shaking as he nodded his head ever so slightly, Hera's grip on him tightened.  
"Oh Zeb." Kanan's expression was suddenly so kind. "That's what you were upset about?"

  
"I-I-I'm sorry!" Zeb cried, slouching over into Hera's lap. The twi'lek sighed and stroked the back of his fur gently, just like his mother used to.

  
"What are you sorry for?" She muttered softly, unsure that Zeb could even hear her over his tears.

  
"I'm a disappointment to my Mama and my Aunties, and my Brothers and my Daddy."

  
"Oh Zeb." Kanan stood up and crouched down beside where the lasat had his face squished against Hera's lap. "Listen to me, okay? You are not a disappointment to anyone."

  
"But how am I supposed to have a beautiful wife? My Mama always said that I'd have a beautiful wife and she'd make me very happy." Zeb muttered, his sobbing had subsided slightly, enough that he could construct full sentences, but he was still reluctant to lift up his head.

  
"Zeb. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. Your Mama would much rather you be happy without a beautiful wife than unhappy with. You don't have to fit into the mould you're given as a baby, they didn't know what you would achieve yet."

  
Zeb sat upright and sniffled again, Kanan passed him a tissue.

  
"W-What makes you so sure?" He whimpered, but Hera just smiled slightly. She hadn't anticipated telling them like this, so soon, or under such strange circumstances, but she didn't mind one bit. She moved her hands off Zeb's fur and onto her abdomen fondly.

  
"Because I'm gonna be a Mama too." She beamed, glancing down at Kanan to see his reaction. The Jedi was frozen, his burnt eyes glossing with tears as he spoke, voice barely a whisper.

  
"Really?"

  
Hera nodded.  
"Mmm-Hmm." She took his hand into her own and put it down onto her stomach, Kanan broke into tears.

  
"We're gonna have a baby oh my goodness I'm gonna be a Dad Hera I-" He stood up to kiss her as Hera laughed at his rambling. A realisation hit Zeb.

  
He would never be a Dad. He'd never have kits of his own or carry on his legacy. The Orrelios family name would end with him. The sole survivor of the massacre couldn't procreate his bloodline due to stupid romantic attraction. He sighed shakily and bit back his tears again, hoping he wouldn't spoil the moment for them, but Hera noticed.

  
"Zeb? You okay?"

  
"I'm never gonna be a Dad." Zeb's voice wobbled as he spoke. "I'm never gonna get married or bring home grandbabies to my Mama... my family legacy is gonna die with me."

  
"So? The Syndulla legacy will die with me. Your name doesn't matter Zeb, it's about who you are on the inside." Hera tapped on her stomach gently. "And take it from a Mama who might not be yours, but who loves you just the way that you are: You don't owe us anything, no wife, no kits, no legacy. As long as you're happy, we're happy."

  
"Are you sure?"

  
"I'm positive."

  
Zeb nodded and inhaled, hoping that just this once the Ashla would be on his side and help him out.  
"I-I-I'm g-g-gay." He stuttered.

  
"We know buddy. We love you no matter what." Kanan responded. He'd taken to using Hera's abdomen as a pillow for his cheek, snuggling up against it. "Now. Back to bed please young man, or you'll be too tired for the briefing tomorrow."

  
"Young man." Zeb scoffed, smiling slightly. Now Kanan sounded like his Mama. "I'm 11 years older than you."

  
"I don't like this attitude thank you very much. Bed. Now." The man replied sternly, but his face shone a smile, Zeb stood up, nodded, and made his way back to his bunk.

  
He dreamt about his Mother again that night, but for once, instead of being a kit again, he was exactly as he is now. Sitting on her knee as she grooms his fur. She didn't seem to have aged a day, and he should've been much too big, but somehow his large frame still fit perfectly.  
"Mama?" He twitched his ear slightly.

  
"Yes Baaka?" She replied.

  
"I'm sorry I got covered in mud. Icky Aggie threw it on me." He'd relived this conversation a thousand times, but now his Aunties weren't here, it was just the two of them.

  
"It's okay Zebby." His mother smiled, setting the comb aside for a moment. "I know Aggie might seem icky now, but one day, when you're all grown up, you'll have a handsome husband and you'll be very happy."

  
"H-husband?" He turned to look at her in surprise, that bit was definitely new. "You know?"

  
"Of course I know Zebby, I'm your Mama." She responds, brushing gently through the tangles of his facial fur.

  
"Y-you don't mind?"

  
She shakes her head.  
"You grew up so handsome."

  
"Oh." Zeb feels his bottom lip begin to quiver a little as he snuggles into her chest, he feels small again, but the size of her hands on his back tell him otherwise. "I love you Mama." He purrs, she strokes his ear and smiles.

  
"I know Zebby. I think we have a lot to talk about."

'Untle Zeh' runs around the corridors, toddler Jacen in his arms. The small boy can't say Uncle properly yet, or Zeb for that matter, but he doesn't mind.

  
"Oh no! Rogue TIE's up ahead! Better blast them down!" He cries playfully, Jacen sticks out his hands and cheers.

  
"Pew pew pew! Fwoosh!" He replicates the sound of the nose cannon, Zeb laughs as the doors to the galley open.

"What are you two doing out here? Chandelier bowling?" Alexsandr frowns.

  
"Oh no!" Zeb doesn't break his charade. "There's a damsel in distress on the battlefield! What should we do Captain Green Bean?"

  
"Pew pew pew!" Jacen pretends to shoot Alex, he raises an eyebrow up at Zeb, who just shrugs.

  
"I thought my days of being shot at by you were long over." He retorts, his boyfriend smiles back.

  
"His choice not mine. Sorry damsel."

  
"You're supost die!" Jacen protests, Alexsandr rolls his eyes and sighs.

  
"Ah no! I've been mortally wounded! If only some brave rescue team would come and save me!" He pretends to clutch at his chest, Jacen giggles.

  
"Restue team!" He wiggles free of Zeb's grasp and runs over to the man, who picks him up instead. "All better now."

  
"Oh thank you brave sir Captain Green Bean! You have truly saved my skin." Alex smiles, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately before smiling up at Zeb. "I just got her to settle, if you want to come and say hello?" The lasat nods, his eyes are so proud as he approaches the other two.

  
"Come on Jacie, lets go meet your baby cousin."

  
Zeb finds that no matter how hard he tries, he can't take his eyes off her. Lyrina Daspacta Orrelios, or Lyra for short. Barely a few days old. The quickest adoption the agency had ever done after the death of her birth Mom but now, she was theirs, all snuggled up in Jacen's old crib. She opens one big eye to stare at him and he can see that they're much bluer than most Lasat's, practically cyan, but it's closed and asleep again before he can get a proper look. Hera walks past him and smiles down at the tiny kit.

  
"Congratulations, Dads." Her voice is so full of pride, it makes Zeb's chest swell. She picks up Jacen and leaves, giving the two of them peace for a few moments, and Zeb relishes in it. He was here. He was now. This was really happening. His daughter, his lover, his family.

  
"I've been meaning to ask." Alex settles his head into his boyfriend's shoulder. "What does Daspacta mean?"

  
"Rose." Zeb replies. "Like the first flower you gave me... when we'd only been dating for a week."

  
The man laughs and rolls his eyes.  
"Well excuse me for being excited. It's not my fault that I fell for you quickly."

  
"Hey Alex?"

  
"Hmm?"

  
"Do you wanna maybe... get married?"

  
"Oh yeah. Definitely." Alexsandr nods his head, snuggling closer to the great Lasat. "As soon as Lyra is old enough to sit through the ceremony I am dragging you to that alter."  
Zeb laughs.

  
"Are you threatening to marry me?"

  
"Yes. What's your point?"  
Zeb just laughs again, putting his arm around the human's shoulders and rubbing his cheek against his head. He can't remember the last time that he felt this happy, but maybe it's a feeling that he could get used to.

**Author's Note:**

> I promise that I do write non-LGBTQ stuff, I just don't have any of it on here right now. Also baby Zeb? ADORABLE. (Psst, head over to my Instagram @cartoondoodlesandsuch to see a doodle I did of him and his Daddy.) (But please don't bring up that it's from this fic because my friends and family will literally BULLY ME for writing fanfic again.)
> 
> Also if any of y'all like Futurama you should watch the episode 'Game of Tones' because the ending heavily inspired Zeb's dream about his Mom.


End file.
